An apparatus for initiating and/or promoting a chemical and/or physical reaction on a sample by a microwave is known from U.S. Pat. No. 9,132,406. The apparatus includes a pressure vessel and the pressure vessel defines a reaction chamber. A sample is put into the reaction chamber for initiating and/or promoting chemical and/or physical high-pressure reaction on the sample. Furthermore, the pressure vessel includes an insulation lining (a so-called liner) which serves as an insulator of the pressure vessel to improve a thermal resistance of the pressure vessel. The insulation lining is preferably made of plastic, PTFE, ceramic or tantalum. In addition, the insulation lining serves for preventing an inner lining of the pressure vessel from being chemically contaminated and corroded by the reactant and/or product and protecting the inner lining of the pressure vessel.
Furthermore, a lid is provided above the pressure vessel and configured to open or close the pressure vessel. When the lid closes the pressure vessel, an upper portion of the pressure vessel and the lid are clamped by a clamp, thereby sealing the pressure vessel. More specifically, when the lid rests on the upper part of the pressure vessel, both clamp halves which together form the circular metal clamp, can be closed. When the two steel clamp halves are closed, they can be secured against each other by a bolt.
A thread of the bolt engages in an opposite thread formed in one of the two clamp halves so that the latter can be pulled against each other. A part of the thread of the bolt which projects beyond the opposite thread of one clamp half has a length such that the bolt is also thereby prevented from being screwed out in a direction away from the clamp. In this state, the bolt is manually rotated for locking the two clamp halves so that the lid and the pressure vessel are air-tightly fixed.
In the air-tightly fixed state, a gas is supplied into the reaction chamber to increase an internal pressure of the pressure vessel. In this time, a microwave is generated to heat the sample, thereby performing a reaction of the sample. After the reaction is terminated, the clamp is loosened by manually untightening the bolt and the sample is removed from the pressure vessel.
In such a conventional experiment apparatus, as explained above, after the sample is put into the pressure vessel the clamp should be air-tightly fixed by manually tightening the bolt and after the reaction is completed, the clamp should be loosened by manually untightening the bolt. Depending on a type of the sample, a gas harmful to a human body may be generated as a reaction product. As a result, this poses a problem in that an user may inhale the harmful gas when personally fixing and releasing the clamp.
Since the clamp is manually fixed, the applied force for tightening the bolt can vary each time. If the bolt is weekly tightened, the sealing of the pressure vessel may not be properly achieved. In the case where a reaction occurs in such a state that the pressure vessel is not properly sealed, the reaction may not be performed in the right way and a gas may be leaked from the pressure vessel. This circumstance may lead to disaster.
Further, during the reaction, depending on the type of materials used as a reactant, an acid material may be produced as a product. The produced acid material cause corrosion of parts and pipes for transporting gas provided inside the experiment apparatus. If such parts and pipes undergo corrosion, then the affected parts and pipes need to be replaced. However, since each parts and pipes are independently arranged inside the experiment apparatus, it would be difficult for an ordinary user to replace the parts and pipes which should be delicately dealt with.